My Life as a Delegate/ Jennifer Newland

My Life as a DelegateDuring this election cycle there has been a lot of banter about delegates and superdelegates. But outside of the banter, have you ever thought about what it takes to be a delegate and how their life is affected by being a delegate? I am going to share my story with you about being a delegate. This story is not about a political party or a political candidate, but about how my life was impacted as a delegate.

On Christmas Eve I received a call from an elected official asking if I would be a delegate for my Congressional District serving Northampton, Carbon, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Monroe and Schuylkill Counties. My gut instinct was that being a delegate must be important if I was getting a call on Christmas Eve and I better say yes. However, my head won and I asked what it entailed. The elected official and I spoke in length about being a delegate. I was fortunate that I was told honestly upfront that being a delegate was work. And work it definitely was.

I heard at the beginning of February that petitions were going to be released to the delegate selections. Then, of course after we received 30 inches of snow, there it was - petition season. I had three weeks to obtain the required 250 signatures, however, in case petitions are challenged it was necessary that I obtain about twice that required amount. So out my friends and I went into the cold, windy, snowy, icy weather knocking on doors one by one in each county and attending events to obtain signatures. The most memorable night was the night before the due date of petitions to the campaign. Three of us knocking on doors from early afternoon until 7pm in an actual snow storm with blustery winds, four inches of snow and frigid temperatures. While it sounds like no fun we laughed, threw snowballs at each other, and had the best conversations with people out shoveling their driveways. That night made all the coldness, all the long days, all the driving, and all the doors knocked where no one was home more than worth it. Once we thawed out, the final number count and final audit of my petitions started. Into the night we worked inspecting each line on each petition form. My heart pounded with excitement as the final number was spoken. 478. We did it! We reached the magic number!

After formal certification in Harrisburg of my petitions, I was notified that my name was officially on the primary election ballot. Now came part two which I called the balancing act - delegates pledged to specific candidates running for the top spots to obtain a seat at the convention while campaigning with for our candidate to win the primary. This balancing act seemed to form awkward bonds between delegates and fragile friendships. However, all this quickly faded after the primary and we knew who were the elected delegates for our candidate. In the end, we all had a major component in our lives that was the same that brought us close together quickly - love of politics, belief in our candidate, and enjoyment of campaigning for our candidate.

While I always understood the serious side to the convention - carrying over 37,000 votes with me to pledge to someone who could be our next President - it took a back seat while being so thoroughly focused on campaigning for our candidate until a few weeks prior to the convention. Delegates starting receiving instruction booklets on proceedings, invitations to attend caucus groups, event notices which came in by the dozens, and it all became very real. I ... a girl from little Roseto was taking over 37,000 voices with me. I… now an elected delegate… had the trust of those voices to do what they asked of me. I ….no one special, just a community servant….would be representing our Congressional District to the rest of the USA. It was quite a humbling realization and a calling that I took so serious that on the day of roll call I showed up three hours prior to the start. After roll call and having an “official” nominee for our party, the weight was lifted and the true fun began. The best words to describe the experience are these: unified family. There was no difference between titles or fame. There was no difference in where anyone came from. The boundaries that sometimes seem to divide fell away. The differences that we may have had in candidates going into the convention fell away. What was left was raw humanity, excitement, laughter, and cheering for the same cause. Maybe it sounds like Utopia...maybe it was for that moment. For me, it was an experience I will continue to cherish and never be able to thank my supporters enough.

Those cold nights through the days at the convention made me realize that solid friendships, loyalty and trust are still part of politics. Talking with people door to door we want the same things - more compassion for one another, good jobs, healthy family members, real solutions to issues and peace. It did not matter what religion, race, political affiliation, gender, or orientation - people were warm and inviting. I suppose this story is actually about more than my life as a delegate - it is also about reminding people that politics, the other side of the aisle, your neighbor, the people in the next county over are searching for the answer and solution. If we respect each other, listen to each other and help each other then and only then can we see true progress.

No matter what your political party affiliation is, it is important to vote on November 8th. Your vote is your voice. You might think about not voting because your candidate is far ahead in the polls and going to win or or my voice does not matter because my candidate might lose, but the difference could be your single vote. Whether or not your candidate wins, your vote sends a message about where voters stand on issues, policy and acts as a report card for them. So your vote truly does count for the politicians, your family, for future generations, and for our nation. If you are not registered, get registered by visiting www.votespa.com to register online.

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